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New Konica Minolta Single Lens Reflex (SLR)-type Digital Camera:
The DiMAGE Z1
Konica Minolta’s stylish new DiMAGE Z1 is the first in a series of easy-to-use powerful SLRtype digital cameras. The first Konica Minolta digital camera to include Konica Minolta’s new built-in 10x Mega-zoom lens, the DiMAGE Z1 possess advanced technology and the world’s fastest autofocusing among digital cameras with a built-in 10x or greater optical zoom.* Key features include:
•3.2 Megapixels
•Konica Minolta’s new Mega-Zoom lens (10x optical/4x digital zoom)
•Rapid Autofocus (AF)
•Progressive Capture
•High-Quality VGA Movie (640 x 480, 30 frames per second)
•CxProcess II
•Ultra High Speed (UHS) Continuous Advance (10 frames per second rapid fire)
•LCD and Eye-level Electronic Viewfinder
Main Features:
Konica Minolta’s 10x Mega-zoom Lens
The new Konica Minolta 10x Mega-zoom is a fast f2.8 – f3.5 lens allowing fast shutter speeds for sport or natural-light photography. The ten-element seven-group design employs two aspheric lenses to minimize aberrations and produce sharp images. With a focal range of 5.8mm to 58mm, it is equivalent to a 38 - 380mm 35mm camera lens. When combined with the seamless 4x digital zoom, it has an amazing 40x zoom range, equivalent to a 38 – 1520mm lens.
To extend the versatility of the powerful 10x Mega-zoom, an optional 0.75x wide-converter is available. This lens attachment increases the lens’ angle of view giving it a maximum coverage approximately equal to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera. The adapter ring supplied with the wideconverter allows 52mm filters to be used with the camera.
With such powerful optics, the affect of camera shake, a slight blurring of the image when the camera is handheld, can be a significant problem. Minolta engineers have developed an advanced program exposure line to maximize shutter speeds by controlling the aperture and camera sensitivity based on the subject program and focal length in use.
Rapid AF
Such powerful optics combined with a high-resolution 3.3 megapixel 1/2.7 interline primarycolor CCD requires a powerful autofocus system. The DiMAGE Z1 employs Rapid AF to ensure sharp images with minimum delay. Rapid AF uses a passive AF sensor to instantly estimate the distance to the subject and the camera’s CCD to determine the precise focus point. A high-speed drive focuses the lens quickly and smoothly. The CCD uses a 60 frame per second sampling rate
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Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z1 |
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to determine the optimum focus, twice the rate of most digital cameras on the market today. All this translates into a 0.3 second focusing time at a focal length of 5.8mm and 0.4 seconds at 58mm, giving the DiMAGE Z1 the world’s fastest AF among digital cameras with a built-in 10x or greater optical zoom.*
Although the DiMAGE Z1 uses complex AF technology, focusing the camera couldn’t be easier. The user simply places the subject anywhere within the focus frames and the camera does the rest; an AF sensor is briefly displayed so the subject can be confirmed.
Konica Minolta’s Progressive Capture
Konica Minolta’s new drive mode, Progressive Capture, makes sure photographers never miss a shot. When the shutter-release button is pressed and held down, Progressive Capture begins saving images in the buffer memory. A user simply watches the action on the monitor and when it is over, releases the shutter button and the images in the buffer memory are saved to the memory card catching the moment. Six frames are saved when using standard continuous advance and 10 frames when using UHS continuous advance. Standard continuous advance records at approximately 1.5 frames per second at any image size or quality setting. Ultra High Speed (UHS) continuous advance records 1.2 megapixel images at 10 frames per second.
High Quality VGA Movie
The DiMAGE Z1 doesn’t just capture still images. High-quality VGA (640 x 480) movies at 30 frames per second can be recorded. Image size and frame rate can be selected to balance image quality with file size. Three image sizes are available: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120.
Because of the high frame rate of the CCD, movies may be shot at 30 frames per second to create natural flicker-free images, or 15 frames per second to maximize recording time. The length of the movie is only limited by the memory card capacity, image size, and frame rate.
Because the DiMAGE Z1 can capture large, high-quality VGA (640 x 480) movies, image sharpness and brightness is very important. During recording the DiMAGE Z1 will continue to focus to provide the sharpest possible image. The night-movie mode can make color recordings under extreme low-light conditions.
Konica Minolta’s CXProcess II
CxProcess II, Konica Minolta’s new image-processing technology, is employed to bring out the best in the 3.3 megapixel 1/2.7 interline primary-color CCD. CxProcess II controls the essential image qualities of color, contrast, and sharpness while minimizing noise. Brilliant, saturated color remains vibrant without becoming unnatural or flat. Subtle contrast is rendered to retain the richness and depth of the subject while preserving details in the highlights and shadows. Sharpness is controlled by balancing resolution with acutance to show fine detail while minimizing hard, unnatural edges.
Unique LCD & Viewfinder
The DiMAGE Z1 is equipped with Konica Minolta’s unique Switch Finder. This unique system allows the camera’s LCD monitor to be viewed directly or through the viewfinder. Since a single monitor is used, photographers won’t need to worry about the color, contrast, and resolution difference between separate rear and viewfinder monitors. Because of the viewfinder’s large apparent angle of view, the monitor image is large and clear.
The camera’s Real Motion LCD monitor uses a 60 frames per second frame rate. This Real Motion frame rate brings the live image to life by the ability to show action smoothly compared to the slower 30 frames per second rate of conventional monitors.
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